Pauline Brigewell and the Prisoner of Azkaban
by mantabel91
Summary: She only saw herself as a student of Hogwarts. Never did she think that she would help a godfather get in contact with his godson.
1. Letter from Professor McGonagall

**Author's Notes: I really like the original characters I had come up with, but I notice that no one really was reading what I had posted under this category. I only own the OCs that I have created. All other belong to J.K. Rowling. I do hope to turn it into and Harry PotterxOC. If I don't get reviews and more views, then I'll give up on this and move on to something new. Please, please let me know what you think. Thank you. ^-^  
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Pauline Bridgewell was just another ordinary Hufflepuff student of Hogwarts with her extraordinary friends, Shri Girish of Ravenclaw, Abigail Woodworm of Gryffindor, and Cecelia Vandercam of Slytherin. Starting their third year together was sure to be interesting now that her sister, Angelica, was sure to be a bug. Pauline with her mother, father and two sisters walked to the Hogwarts Express.

"So wonderful," her mother said as she kissed Pauline on the cheek, "First you and now your sister. It's just perfect."

"Mum, you've been saying that ever since Angie got her letter," Pauline said as she rolled her eyes.

"I know, but, oh, it just seems like yesterday when we were dropping you off for your first year and now here you are," she said as she wiped away a stray tear.

"All aboard the Hogwarts Express!" cried the conductor.

"Best let them go, dear," their father said and he leaned in to give his daughter a hug, "Watch out for your sister, Paulie."

"I will."

On the train they went, Pauline went to find her friends with Angelica following in toe with her cat in its carry-on. The Maine-coon growled every time it was bumped by something or someone.

"Why couldn't you have put that monster with Laetatia and all the other pets?" Pauline asked getting annoyed.

"Cassandra does not enjoy tight spaces with noisy owls," Angelica replied in her most adult manner, "You saw how she almost killed Gwydroin."

"And that would make me like that cat more," she mumbled as she final found the compartment where an Indian girl was having her fortune read by a pale blonde girl using tarot card and a chubby girl with faint freckles watched closely.

"Hey there Paulie!" shouted Abigail as she got up from the floor to hug her Hufflepuff friend, "Who's the little runt?"

"That would be my sister," she replied as she took her bag and placed it on the overhead, "Ladies, meet Angie."

"Angelica," her little sister corrected as she took the seat across from the tarot card reading.

Pauline took off her coat to get a little more comfortable and started to introduce the rest of her friends to her younger sister, "This one is Abigail, she's the one in Gryffindor. That girl giving the card reading is Cecelia and the other one is Shri."

"Would you please be quite," Cecelia said in a hush tone, "I'm trying to concentrate."

Cecelia's grandmother was gifted with the sight and saw that her granddaughter was showing the same signs that she might be gifted as well. Over the summer, her grandmother had been teaching her the art of Divination. Turns out that she really enjoyed it, but her grandmother warned her that sometime seeing the unknown may not always be pleasant.

As the train ride carried on, Pauline and her friends laughed at some of the fun outcomes the tarot cards were giving Shri and Abigail. One of them being that all of Shri's hard work was going to pay off and that Abigail was going to find romance in her near future.

"Come on, Paulie," said Abigal as she tugged on her sleeve, "You have a go at it."

"All right," she giggled as she changed seats with her chubby friend, "What type of reading is it?"

"A basic three card reading," Cecelia replied, "I'm going to tell you your past, present and future."

"Why do you need to tell me my past if I already know it?" she asked.

"It is to tell us what recent challenges you took to get to the present that you are at," her thin friend explained as she handed Pauline the deck, "Shuffle as many times as you want."

Pauline gave her friend back the deck and she pulls the top three, laying them in order.

"Let's see what we have here," Cecelia said as she examined each card, "This one is the five wands, it represents that you had some troubles, but were able to see them through. So in the past you have dealt with some hardships, but have remained triumphant. The middle one is temperance. In your present you are showing good judgment. So your past has helped a lot with your present. And your future…"

The train came to a jolting halt, the lights flickered off, and Pauline heard Angelica whimper in the dark. She reached over the seat to comfort her sister. The prefects were shouting down the corridors for the students to remain in their compartments. Pauline had forgotten that there was a wanted murder on the loose and that there were dementors sent out from Azkaban to find him. The air grew cold. Why would they search on a train going to a school? It made no sense.

"Paulie," Angelica whimpered under her.

"It's all right," she said as she comforted her sister and patted her head. Looking up at the fogged up compartment window, Pauline saw the outlining of a shadowy figure and heard Cassandra hiss at it. Angelica continued to tremble as her friends' breathing started to become fainter with every passing moment. It felt like hours until the lights came back on. She checked on Angelica one last time before letting her go to change into her school robes.

"What the bloody hell was that about?" Abigail asked as she collected herself.

"Dementors," Cecelia said solemnly as she gathered her scattered tarot cards, "The Minster of Magic has been on high alert since Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban."

Balev, Shri's older brother and Head Boy, stopped by the girls' compartment to make sure that they were all right. When asked about the dementors, he simply said that all would be explained at school. There seemed to be a little worry in his eyes, but he played it off well as if nothing really happened. Giving his sister one last hug, he went on to check on the other students, leaving the compartment with an air of doubt.

"Well at least they are gone now," Pauline said and smiled trying to cheer up the mood, "So what will my future hold for me, Cecelia?"

"Oh… Umm…" her blonde friend stuttered, "I can't remember."

"Wasn't it this one?" the brunette asked as she picked up a card with many swords on it and a lady wiping on it.

Cecelia snatched it quickly from her hand and put the deck away from sight. It was odd how quickly she was acting on gathering her uniform parts.

"Cece," Abigail said, "Was that the card for Paulie future?"

"It was the nine of swords," Shri said, "It is a card of despair and cruelty. I read a little bit of our Divination book, but that's all I know."

"It was reversed," Cecelia said in her small voice when something was wrong, "It is a sign of isolation and depression. It means, in the end, you will be alone, Pauline. There will come a time when you will face an unknown fear by yourself."

The compartment was silent. Pauline wasn't sure what to say. Shri and Abigail were both shocked while Cecelia looked at her with her crystal, sorrow filled eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The carriage ride over was unbearably silent. Cecelia did everything in her power to keep her attention from the girls. It was as if she felt like she did something that had jeopardize their friendship. Shri sat next to Pauline and took her hand in comfort.

"They're just silly card, Pauline," the Indian girl said, "Maybe the trouble that you will face isn't as bad as we're all making it out to be."

"Yeah," Abigail chimed in, "Maybe you're stuck with Malfoy as your Potions partner this year. Or Flich will catch wondering the halls by yourself again."

This made the mood in the carriage brighter and Pauline reached out to Cecelia to look at her.

"It's all right, Cece," she said to her friend, "It wasn't like you porously chose those cards for me."

Cecelia finally smiled. It may have been a weak smile, but never the less, it was a smile. When the carriage came to a stop, the girls filed out one by one. Pauline reached for the step, but, instead, nearly fell to muddy ground below her.

"Easy there, Pauline," said a manly Scottish voice.

She looked at the face of a young man with short brown hair and brown eye.

"O…Oliver," she stammered as she blushed, making eye contact with the seventh year Gryffindor that made her heart skip a beat. Her friends nearby giggled at the sight of Pauline almost falling into the arms of the Gryffindor keeper.

"You always seem to miss that one step," Oliver Wood chuckled as he helped her stand again, "You all right?"

"Y…yes," she said as she adjusted her robe and skirt, "Thank you very much."

He smiled at her, "So I'll see you inside then?"

"Not if I see you first," she said as she tried to flirt with him. Oliver just laughed and waved as he walked to keep up with some of his friends to the castle's entrance. Pauline could smack herself right now for being an idiot.

"Not if I see you first?" Abigail cackled, "Real smooth Paulie."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX**

The next morning, Pauline gathered her things to head to Great Hall for breakfast. As she left, she was surprise to find her sister in her new Gryffindor uniform waiting for her outside of her house entrance.

"What do you think?" Angelica asked as she twirled around.

"Red was always a good color," she said to her as she tousled her sister's hair.

"You don't think Mum and Dad will be disappointed I ended up in a different house then you?" Angelica pestered as she followed Pauline up the stairs.

"Are you kidding? They'll be thrilled," Pauline laughed as they made their way through the halls of Hogwarts, "Do you have a map of the school?"

"Practically memorized," her little sister responded with pride.

Pauline continued to drill her sister all the way to the Great Hall to make sure she had everything she might for her first day of classes. Once satisfied, she let her go to the Gryffindor table where her new dorm mates were waiting for her. As Pauline ate her bowl of oatmeal, her little barn owl, Laetetia, flew down to drop an official letter from the deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall.

On break, her and her friends stared at the unopened letter.

"Maybe it's just a reminder," Shri said.

"Or maybe you're getting expelled," Abigail said and the three girls turned to glare at her, "What? You were all thinking it."

"There's no way they would expel her at the beginning of the year, you nitwit," the Indian girl exclaimed.

"Are you going to open it?" asked Cecelia.

"I guess I have no choice," Pauline sighed and turned the envelop over to break the seal. Opening the folded up letter, she began to read out loud:

Dear Miss Bridgewell,

It has come to my attention that you have received high marks in Transfigurations that it would give me a great honor to teach you privately. I wish to speak with you tonight after dinner in my office to begin these sessions. Please be there at 9 o'clock sharp. If you are tardy, then I shall see it as a sign that you are uninterested on expanding your knowledge of Transfiguration.

Professor McGonagall

"You're not being expelled!" Abigail cheered and hugged her friend's shoulder, "You're just brilliant!"

"She wants to teach me privately," Pauline said still shocked, "But why? Shri or Hermione would have been better choices."

"Well," Shri said in a bitter tone as she gathered her things, "Looks like you'll have to find out tonight."

"Where are you going?" asked Abigail, but the Indian girl just walked away from the group in a huff.

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Standing outside of Professor McGonagall's door, Pauline waited nervously. She had the professor's letter in hand and checked her watch several times. She had five minutes to decide to go in or to run away. Angelica told her to take the chance, but the way Shri had been acting towards her all day told her something else. Even though they had Divinations together, she chose to sit with one of the Patil sisters rather than Pauline. Was this really something that was going to jeopardize their friendship? With a heavy sigh, she reached to knock on the door only for it to swing open for her. A tight lip old lady with her hair in a tight bun sat behind her desk as she scribbled out a letter.

"You may come in, Bridgewell," the lady said, "I knew you have been standing out there for the past thirty minutes."

Pauline slowly entered the room where there were many books were floating over head. A couple of chairs and a small tea table danced their way over to the center of the room as a tea pot and cups floated to be set onto the table. Professor McGonagall removed her glasses and stood up from her desk.

"Come, sit," she said to the nervous Hufflepuff, "One lump or two."

"Two, mum," she squeaked.

"Cream?" Pauline nodded and her tea was served to her.

"I know what you are thinking, Miss Bridgewell," the professor started as she sipped her tea, "There are so many students who have made higher marks than you such as Miss Granger and your friend, Miss Girish, but I'm not interested in your marks."

"But your letter," Pauline piped in, but Professor McGonagall stopped her from interrupting.

"I know what my letter said. You do not have to recite it for me," the elder witch said as she went reached for a book that was floating by, "I am more interested in your passion, Miss Bridgewell. You show a great desire to learn more about this subject than any of your others. I want you to read this book. You do not have to accept my offer to give you private studies, but I must know by next week. Do think it over and try not to let the people you surround yourself influence your decision."


	2. Friends May become the Enemy

"Miss Bridgewell!"

Pauline jerked awake to find a scowling potions professor's face inches away from hers.

"If you are going to fall asleep in class," Snape sneered, "Then I would prefer it to do it in another class and not one that you need desperate help in."

"I'm sorry, Professor Snape," she replied timidly as she tried to break eye contact with his cold eyes.

The greasy haired man folded his arms, let out a very heavy sigh, when the door from behind the class slammed open to reveal a much disheveled Gryffindor.

"Mr. Potter! Third day of classes and you show up late to mine!" Snape yelled as he paced himself to the back of the dungeon and yanked the boy by the ear to the front of the room. He pushed Harry into the seat next to Pauline and pointed at the two of them.

"Detention tonight, both of you."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Way to be setting an example for me, Pauline," Angelica said as she sat with her sister, Cecelia, and Abigail under a tree in the courtyard, "Weren't you suppose to be more responsible than that?"

"Shut up, Angie," the brunette mumbled under her hands as she lay on the grass.

As if it wasn't bad enough that Shri still refused to speak to her or any of the others, she was losing sleep over what to do about the offer of private lessons with Professor McGonagall. She wasn't going to tell her parents, but they had found out anyways and could not be prouder. Now her little sister was giving her a hard time for not accepting the opportunity right then and there. She just wanted to curl up into a ball and throw herself in the lake. Maybe she and the giant squid could get well acquainted.

"Shri just walked by with those Patil twins," Abigail said as she shook Pauline's foot. Not wanting to miss another chance, the Hufflepuff bolted up to her feet and chased after the Ravenclaw girl.

"Shri!" she called and finally gained her attention, "Thank goodness. I really need to talk to you."

"Well, make it quick," the Indian girl said as the other two giggled and whispered to each other.

"Umm… could we talk privately maybe?"

Rolling her eyes, Shri asked the Patil twins to wait for her outside of Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. She turned back to Pauline with perked lips as if she had eaten something sour.

"Well," she said as she got irritated, "I'm waiting for it."

"I know you're still sore about McGonagall asking me to take some more lessons with her, but it's not my fault," Pauline said, "It's not like I asked her for them. I know I'm not as brilliant as you, but you don't need to be mad at me for something a professor asked me."

Shri scowl did not seem to be tethering at all. Pauline thought that Professor Snape's glare was this worst, but he had nothing on what the Ravenclaw girl had. Her glare never wavered.

"So you've made your decision on what you are going to do?" she asked as if she was tasting vinegar.

Pauline did not understand where all this hate was coming from. She knew how Shri got when she was bested by Hermione Granger, but this was something worse. This was like jealousy that she had never experienced before.

"You probably shouldn't," Shri continued as she pulled a thread off of Pauline's vest, "You wouldn't be able to handle the first week. How would you find time to study for your other classes? Perhaps you shouldn't even show up to the next meeting at all."

And then something snapped in Pauline. She may not understand why her "friend" was acting this way towards her, but this was not right. There was a loud pop heard through the air and all of the students in the courtyard stared. Shri was holding her cheek as a red hand print showed against her tan cheek. Pauline felt a sting in her hand and hot tears roll down her face.

"I'll show you," she said softly, "I'll show you!"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx**

Sulking in the girl's bathroom, Pauline hugged her knees close to her body with her face buried in them. She couldn't believe what she had done. She hadn't hit anyone in a long time and never had it been a friend. So much for being fair and loyal, she was sure that she had caused her house to lose points for being aggressive to another student.

"It wasn't like she didn't deserve it," she muttered to herself, "But it's not like she needed it either."

"Pauline," said a voice from behind the stall door, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she squeaked and cleared her voice before getting off the floor. She unlocked the door to find a frizzy haired, brown eyed Gryffindor with a look of sympathy on her face.

"I saw what happened in the courtyard," Hermione said as she offered her a handkerchief.

"Of course you did," Pauline said as she wiped her face, "Everyone did." She felt her hand start to shake and she balled it up to hope it would stop.

"Everyone thought it was brilliant," the smartest witch in her class giggled as she tried to lighten up the mood.

"Shri didn't deserve that," she said as she handed the handkerchief back and walked over to the sink to splash water in her face, "I should have done something else."

"Well maybe you could have," Hermione said as she got a towel for her, "but there is no point in worrying about it now. Sure most of Ravenclaw will hate you for slapping one of their best students, but you'll prove to that Indian snob that you're more than just a kind face."

"Wait, so you know about the lesson McGonagall offered to me?"

Hermione nodded, "She asked me to see if there was any way to convince you that you should take her offer."

That comment made Pauline give Hermione a weird look.

"Oh I had nothing to do with those mean things Shri said. That was all her," she said as she defended herself.

"Well there's no point in taking them," Pauline lamented as they left the girl's restroom, "Shri is right. There is no way I could keep up with the lessons and my studies. I'm struggling in potion already. I even have detention on the first week."

Hermione caught her hand and made her look at her, "You're more than what you give yourself credit for. You were the girl who turned a spider into tumble on the first try. You have the talent that would make anyone envious. Just try."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

Cleaning the trophies with the famous Harry Potter would make Abigail squeal with delight, but for Pauline, she was consumed with what happened earlier that day.

"Umm… Pauline," he said as he pulled her back from her dazed state, "I think that one is polished enough."

"Oh right," she said as she look at the shiny house cup in her lap and moved on to the next one.

This was awkward. This was very awkward. She had mostly talked to his other two friends, but rarely had she talked to the main focus of their small pod. Maybe she should have let Abigail make some polyjuice potion and do this for the night. It would have been a whole lot easier than having her sit here with her head swarming with thoughts.

"So," Pauline squeaked, "Excited about the new Quidditch season?"

"I guess," he replied as he grabbed a new trophy to polish, "Doesn't mean Oliver is going to back down on all the practicing he'll have. He wants the Quidditch cup so bad this year."

"Oh Oliver," she said as she felt a little blush coming to her face, "It's his last year, isn't it?"

"Yeah," the Gryffindor replied as he took a break and looked at the clock, "Only an hour has passed. How long are we here again?"

"Till midnight," she said as she felt the awkwardness sink in again.

"You and I don't talk much, do we?" he asked as he looked her in the face, "Ron talks about you a lot though. He says you have a knack for beater."

"Oh, I'm not that good," she said breaking eye contact with him and going back to the house cup she is polishing, "Not compared to his brothers. My dad was a beater for Hufflepuff when he was a student here. They said he had true talent, but he had a terrible injury. He walks with a cane now-a-days. He hates it."

"How did it happen?"

"Dad really doesn't like to talk about it."

"Oh," and again the awkwardness took over and again another hour painfully went by. There was no point in trying to catch his interest, but then an idea came to mind. It would seem awful to do, but it might actually work in a way.

"Umm… Harry," she said meekly, "Perhaps you and I could be partners in Potions this year, well seeing that we got detention together."


End file.
